diff --git a/wherehows-web/app/authenticators/custom-ldap.ts b/wherehows-web/app/authenticators/custom-ldap.ts
index d8fcf4888b..a23b9dffc7 100644
--- a/wherehows-web/app/authenticators/custom-ldap.ts
+++ b/wherehows-web/app/authenticators/custom-ldap.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import Base from 'ember-simple-auth/authenticators/base';
 import { IAuthenticateResponse, IAuthenticationData } from 'wherehows-web/typings/api/authentication/user';
-import { postJSON } from 'wherehows-web/utils/api/fetcher';
+import JQuery from 'jquery';
+
+const { post } = JQuery;
 
 export default Base.extend({
   /**
@@ -11,10 +13,13 @@ export default Base.extend({
    * @return {Promise<IAuthenticationData>}
    */
   authenticate: async (username: string, password: string): Promise<IAuthenticationData> => {
-    const { data } = await postJSON<IAuthenticateResponse>({
+    // retaining usage of jquery post method as opposed to fetch, since api currently fails with string response
+    // TODO: update mid-tier exception handling
+    const { data } = await (<JQuery.jqXHR<IAuthenticateResponse>>post({
       url: '/authenticate',
-      data: { username, password }
-    });
+      contentType: 'application/json',
+      data: JSON.stringify({ username, password })
+    }));
 
     return { ...data };
   },
diff --git a/wherehows-web/app/controllers/login.js b/wherehows-web/app/controllers/login.js
deleted file mode 100644
index ba8c878bdd..0000000000
--- a/wherehows-web/app/controllers/login.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-import Controller from '@ember/controller';
-import { computed, get, setProperties } from '@ember/object';
-import { inject } from '@ember/service';
-
-export default Controller.extend({
-  session: inject(),
-
-  username: computed.alias('name'),
-
-  password: computed.alias('pass'),
-
-  errorMessage: '',
-
-  actions: {
-    /**
-     * Using the session service, authenticate using the custom ldap authenticator
-     */
-    authenticateUser() {
-      const { username, password } = this.getProperties(['username', 'password']);
-
-      get(this, 'session')
-        .authenticate('authenticator:custom-ldap', username, password)
-        .catch(({ responseText = 'Bad Credentials' }) => setProperties(this, { errorMessage: responseText }));
-    }
-  }
-});
diff --git a/wherehows-web/app/controllers/login.ts b/wherehows-web/app/controllers/login.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a68b5fe438
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wherehows-web/app/controllers/login.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import Controller from '@ember/controller';
+import { computed, get, setProperties, getProperties } from '@ember/object';
+import ComputedProperty from '@ember/object/computed';
+import { inject } from '@ember/service';
+import Session from 'ember-simple-auth/services/session';
+
+export default class Login extends Controller {
+  /**
+   * References the application session service
+   * @type {ComputedProperty<Session>}
+   * @memberof Login
+   */
+  session: ComputedProperty<Session> = inject();
+
+  /**
+   * Aliases the name property on the component
+   * @type {ComputedProperty<string>}
+   * @memberof Login
+   */
+  username = computed.alias('name');
+
+  /**
+   * Aliases the password computed property on the component
+   * @type {ComputedProperty<string>}
+   * @memberof Login
+   */
+  password = computed.alias('pass');
+
+  /**
+   * On instantiation, error message reference is an empty string value
+   * @type {string}
+   * @memberof Login
+   */
+  errorMessage = '';
+
+  actions = {
+    /**
+     * Using the session service, authenticate using the custom ldap authenticator
+     * @return {void}
+     */
+    authenticateUser(this: Login): void {
+      const { username, password } = getProperties(this, ['username', 'password']);
+
+      get(this, 'session')
+        .authenticate('authenticator:custom-ldap', username, password)
+        .catch(({ responseText = 'Bad Credentials' }) => setProperties(this, { errorMessage: responseText }));
+    }
+  };
+}